


Well, that's new

by FamineArcher



Category: Naruto
Genre: Accents, Author is only good at writing graphic fight scenes, Autistic Character, Birds of Prey, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Denial, Grumpy Self-Insert, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Misunderstandings, Reincarnation, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Shion is so done with this shit, Swearing, There will be violence, anger issues, like a lot of swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:28:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28960233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FamineArcher/pseuds/FamineArcher
Summary: A young woman, struck by a car, is reborn into Naruto as the only child of a father who's trying his best. She is not prepared for what is going to happen. And the world is not prepared for her.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

I woke up to an unfamiliar place, feeling naked and vulnerable. I tried to speak, but only heard a wailing noise. Dimly, I registered that I was the one screaming, but most of my attention was focused on the blurry shapes in front of me. It almost looked like I’d need my glasses, but the shapes were far too close for that to be true.

Someone was holding me, I noticed, someone very large. Or maybe...

_ Oh for fuck’s sake! I was closer than Mom to the truth of the afterlife, but really? Who in the nine hells decided to let me be  _ self-aware _ as soon as I was born!? And, uh, why the fuck do I remember anything? _

One person’s voice asked something in...Japanese or Chinese, sounds closer to Japanese, great, not even a Romance language I can use English to learn. 

The person who responded sounded upset, almost grieving. After a few minutes of conversation as I was cleaned and swaddled, the upset man spoke at me. “Shion. Takasu Shion.”

Yep, definitely Japanese. And was that my name? Huh.

The upset man picked me up and turned to look at what I was fairly sure was a person on a bed, maybe my “mother”? “Sayonara, Hanako.” Something wet hit my cheek. He was crying. So she’s dead, then. Shit. And this guy was my “father”, I was fairly sure. I did my best to babble at him.

“Shion…” He held me tighter and left the building.

I didn’t have much awareness the first two-ish years, thank whatever deity was out there, but I managed to pick up some of the language. I didn’t speak until I knew I could, then looked at the man who was my new father. “Otou-san!” I pointed at him.

He looked at me and tears rolled down his cheeks. I tilted my head. “Otou-san sad?”

“Otou-san is happy, Shion.” He picked me up. I got my first good look at the metal plate he wore around his neck when he worked.

_ God. Damn. It. Fucking Naruto? Really? I don’t even remember half the damn plot! _ I kept a straight face through my mental screaming. 

A few years of total monotony later, Otou-san took me to a cave and knelt to reach eye level with me. “Shion. This is where the Takasu clan has always awakened their Kekkai Genkai. But we can only do this if you are going to be a shinobi. You’re seven now and you’re sharp. Do you want to be a shinobi or do you not?”

I was petrified. He was asking an autistic, depressed, ADD reincarnation to become a trained killer. I was a useless person before I died, couldn’t even do college right, and now he’s asking me to be a shinobi?

“Otou-san...there’s somethin’ wrong in my head. I don’ wanna do nothin’ and can’t make myself do things anyway.” My “speech impediment,” really just an American accent, wrapped itself around my confession. “I wanna be o’ use, but I dunno if I can.”

He put his arms around me and held me tight. “I know a Yamanaka who can help with that. But do you  _ want _ to be a shinobi?”

“I...I do. I wanna help people like Otou-san does!”

“Then follow me.” He led me deep into the cave and made me sit in a stone depression. “Close your eyes and think of flying. Imagine soaring through the sky like a bird, over the village and in the clouds.” I felt something shift in me.

When my eyes opened, he was much bigger. I startled and felt all the hair on my body stand straight up.

POUF!

“Skree…” Escaped my mouth. “Skweh?”

“Shion, you’re amazing. It takes longer for older people to get this far, but you did it in one try!”

I felt my cheeks burn under the strange things covering me and looked away. “Tseee…”

“Let me now explain our Kekkai Genkai. The Takasu clan died out after the last Great War, my grandfather and mother the only survivors. My mother inherited the Kekkai Genkai, and passed it on to me, who passed it on to you. Most outside and heck, even inside Konoha don’t know we have one, and we like to keep it that way.

“Our Kekkai Genkai allows each member of the clan to become a bird of prey, a hawk or falcon normally. You’re still a juvenile, but I can see your form will be large and your wings wide and strong as you get older. If you want to return to normal, just focus on it.”

I shifted back and looked at him. “What bird d’you become, Otou-san?”

His form changed and a bird stared back at me. From forays on the Web in my old life, I recognized it. A Martial Eagle, a bird with an 8-foot wingspan and a diet including black mambas.

“Pretty…”

He turned back and led me home.

The next day, he brought me with him when he left to go to work. He and I went to a building and to a room inside it. A pale blond man with blue eyes greeted Otou-san and squatted to look at me. “So this is Shion-chan?”

“Shion, this is Yamanaka Inori. He’s going to look in your head and see what’s making you have a hard time.”

I nodded and felt both me and the Yamanaka go into my head.

We landed in a thick coating of black gunk. Everywhere in my head was coated in the stuff, almost a foot thick. It clung as I tried to move.

“This is serious.” Inori said gravely. “This level of disorder is rare among anyone below age 40.”

I looked at him. “Can ya fix me?”

“That’s why I’m here.” He made some hand signs and a fire surrounded him and me, starting to burn off the muck. He had us walk around the entirety of the mindscape, clearing it to reveal a library surrounded by clockwork, with a dead tree off to one side.

A gear among the clockwork was bent, not working properly. Inori examined it. “This is representing your attention span, it seems. Do you ever get distracted?”

I looked down. “Yeah.”

“Don’t be ashamed, Shion-chan. It’s just something I have to help you with.”

“‘S jus’...m’ not normal in the head.” I clenched my fists. “I get made fun of cause I fuckin' talk funny and don’ understand tone or social stuff. But I don’ wanna lose who I am.”

“I’m only fixing your attention span, and you’re not the only one I’ve seen who doesn’t get social cues. It’s not uncommon, especially among shinobi, for people to have their own quirks.” He started to straighten out the gear. "Also, language."

When he finished we left my mindscape and woke up. Four hours had passed.

“Well, Inori?”

“It’s done. Your daughter is fine now, Hayaji. She’ll need to see me every six months or so, just to keep her mind clear.”

I felt better than I ever had in my old life. Forget trying dozens of medications that don’t ever work, my old home needed a Yamanaka. I followed Otou-san to the shinobi academy, where he got me registered. “I’ll be back after school. Have fun!”

The seven-year-old class looked at me curiously as I walked in, a week later than the standard enrollment time. I fidgeted nervously. “Go on, say your name and something about yourself.”

“I’m Takasu Shion an’ I like ta read.”

“She talks funny.” I heard a kid whisper to his neighbor.

“Takasu, you’re next to Nohara. Rin, raise your hand.”

A brunette with purple markings on her cheeks raised her right hand. I sat between her and the wall and started to swear in my head. I was going to live through the Third Great War, as a nameless shinobi, and likely die. Again.

_ Fuck that! _

I was not dying again, not so soon. I was going to learn and be a strong shinobi, not just cannon fodder!

That resolution carried me far. I made friends with Rin after just a few weeks, then became acquainted with another familiar face in the hours before the Academy started.

A few older Uchiha were gathered around someone, shoving them around. I could hear them crying out. The older kids were laughing. They thought it was funny.

I handed Rin my bag and ducked behind a tree. Using my Kekkai Genkai, I transformed into a juvenile bird of prey, then took off, flying at the bullies to make them back off. I flapped broad brown wings in their faces and brandished sharp talons.

The bullies stumbled away, swearing. I landed and returned to human form, taking my bag from Rin.

“Shion-chan, what was that?”

“Kekkai Genkai. Hey you, ya ok?” I found myself looking at a young Uchiha Obito, goggles and all.

“That was so cool! Can you teach me how to do that?!”

I shook my head. “No. Maybe introduce yerself first? I’m Takasu Shion.”

“Uchiha Obito!” The boy chirped, falling into step with Rin and I.

As the days went on, Obito and Rin became good friends of mine, with the three of us walking to school together. After years, I began to think of Obito as a little brother. He kind of reminded me of my twin, with his affectionate demeanor. God, I missed my brother desperately. 

Thankfully, both Rin and Obito tolerated my weird need for physical affection. I was glad I could get hugs without it being a freaky thing that wasn’t done.

On the day of graduation, I worried at my lower lip. I didn’t want Rin to die, or for Obito to become Tobi. But they were going to be on a team together-

“Nohara Rin, Nakamura Chitaru, and Marumi Harika, team 3.” What?

_ WHAT? _

I scribbled something and handed it to Rin. She read it and her face turned pensive, but she nodded at me. It was a note saying that the hospital was always looking for medic-nin if her team didn’t work out.

Inori-sensei had complained of a shortage of medics recently, I remembered, and Rin was always good at first aid.

“Takasu Shion, Uchiha Obito, Team Seven. You’ll be getting your third teammate later.”

_ Well fuck. I’m fucked over, thanks a lot universe! Gonna get the fucking Sanbi shoved in my gut, huh? Gonna fucking have to fucking die again so I don’t kill the village? Just fucking typical. _

During my little mental rant, a blond man entered the room and beckoned for us. I followed, on autopilot, to the roof. A boy with silver hair was waiting there. 

“I want each of you to go around and introduce yourself. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams. I’ll go first. I’m your sensei, Namikaze Minato. I like my wife Kushina, toads, and sparring. I dislike people who belittle others. My hobby is creating new jutsus and my dream is to bring peace to the village. Goggles, you next.”

“I’m Uchiha Obito.” He set his shoulders. “I like fire jutsus and bonsai trees, I dislike bullies, and my hobby is practicing jutsus. My dream for the future is to be Hokage!”

“Fat chance.” Probably-Kakashi snorted.

Minato raised a hand. “Kakashi. Be nice.”

“What? It’s true.”

I cut in. “It ain’t! He’d be a damn better Hokage ‘n ya’d be, whitey!”

Kakashi stopped and looked at my hair pointedly. “Your hair is whiter than mine.” He deadpanned.

“Don’t make yers fuckin' not! And ‘sides, I dunno yer name.”

“I’ll go next then...whitey.”

I growled at him. Like, full-on growled. It was the closest I could get as human to an angry shriek.

“Hatake Kakashi. Likes and dislikes are none of your business, same for hobbies. My dream is to become a respected ninja.”

I crossed my arms, hiding the talons and feathers on my hands. “Yanno respect goes two damn ways right?” I sniped.

“Enough. Both of you.” Minato said firmly. “You, stop winding Kakashi up. Kakashi, she’s right about respect.”

“That’s a girl?” Kakashi faked surprise.

Just because I like the men’s uniform better…This is gonna keep fucking biting me isn’t it?

“Yes, ya blind-” I caught myself and took a deep breath. What did Inori-sensei always say about getting calm? Count to ten.

I finished the count and glared at him. “Should I introduce m’self?”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m Takasu Shion. My likes are my friend Rin, my brother Obito-” Obito’s eyes widened “-and books. I dislike those who judge people without knowin’ ‘em. Also snakes. I don’ like snakes either. My hobby’s readin’ an’ my dream for th’ future is t’ make it t’ 50.”

“How is he your brother? He’s an Uchiha!” Kakashi looked very confused.

“Oh, it ain’t by blood.”

Obito put his arm around me. “We’re just almost siblings.”

Minato cleared his throat. “Alright, if we’re done here, let’s get to a training ground for some evaluations on your combat skills.”

Shit.


	2. Chapter 2

Minato led us to a training ground. This was going to be a fucking disaster.

“Let’s see your stances.” He began.

Obito and I sank into our taijutsu stances. He was using his clan’s style.

“Alright, alright. Shion-chan, you’ve got a good stance for Academy taijutsu, but we’re going to need to add some variation. Obito-kun, you need to keep your left foot in line with your body more.”

Obito shifted his foot obligingly.

“I assume you don’t have the Sharingan awakened yet?”

“No, sir.” He confirmed.

“Show me your fire jutsus.”

As Minato ran Obito through his jutsus, I leaned against a tree. Fucking typical. The kid from a big clan gets the attention.

Kakashi stared at me. I ignored him.

“Hey, you.” He finally said.

“Th’ fuck d’ya want?”

“You smell like a bird.”

“That supposed t’ be a fuckin’ compliment?” Inside I was laughing. Of course I did, I spent a significant amount of time as one!

“You swear a lot.” He observed.

“Is there a point anywhere in there or am I gonna have t’ listen t’ you babble all day?” I sniped.

“Sensei will be done with the Uchiha soon. Then it’s your turn.”

I snorted. “Right. He’s jus’ like the rest, favors th’ kid from a big clan over th’ kid from a clan o’ two people. If ya want me t’ believe that he’ll actually fuckin’ care ‘bout my ass, you’ve got another think comin’!”

I’d said that rather loudly, hadn’t I? Fuck. But from my memories, it was Obito and Kakashi who were trained, I never saw Rin get any damn training, barely saw her at all.

I heard Obito say something, and Minato respond. Then they came over to me.

“Shion-chan!” Obito called. “Your turn!”

Great, a token gesture to pretend we were fucking equals.

“Obito, don’ let Kakashi provoke you.” I told him, then followed Minato across the training grounds.

“So, you know the Academy Three, obviously, but do you know any other jutsus?”

I shrugged. “I can use chakra scalpels and a bit of healing jutsu, but that’s it.” Inori-sensei had taught me the basics.

“Chakra scalpels, huh? Here, show me on this tree.”

I cut a line into the tree, then let the scalpel fizzle out. “Ya know, ya don’ have t’ pretend t’ care.”

“I’m sorry?” He had the gall to look taken aback by that, like he didn’t know what I fucking meant.

“C’mon, we all know ya only took me t’ round out yer fuckin’ team. If ‘twere up t’ ya, ya’d take jus’ Obito an’ Hatake. ‘M incidental. So stop pretendin’ that ya actually fuckin’ give a damn ‘bout me, ‘cause I know ya don’.” I glared at the Hokage-in-training.

“What on earth are you talking about? You’re not just baggage!”

“Sensei, she’s not gonna believe you.” Kakashi called out. “I know her type.”

“Ya don’ know shit ‘bout me, Hatake!” I snarled. His self-righteous attitude was getting on my last nerve. It seemed that Obito agreed with me, because he was glaring fit to kill.

“Now, now, settle down.” Minato raised his hands in a calming gesture. “I can’t teach if you’re all fighting.”

I raised an eyebrow. He was planning on teaching us something already?

He vanished and reappeared with two live rabbits, one under each arm. Obito ‘awww’ed.

I wondered what the catch was.

“Did they ever teach you two how to clean an animal?”

And there it fucking was. We were gonna have to kill the poor things.

Obito looked confused. “Yes, sensei.”

He handed me a bunny. “I want you two to kill and clean these animals.”

I let the bunny sit in my lap and stroked it to lull it into compliance, then took a kunai and stabbed it through the head. “Sorry.” I told it.

Obito was having more trouble, I noted. He kept looking at the rabbit and lowering his kunai.

“Don’ look it in th’ eyes.” I offered a piece of advice as I cleaned my rabbit’s corpse.

He closed his eyes and stabbed it in the neck, grimacing.

Minato showed me the hand seals for a simple fire-starting jutsu. “Now cook them.”

I made the seals and spat an ember into a pile of dry twigs. I spitted the cleaned corpse on a long stick and held it over the fire.

It cooked as I watched over it. It smelled damn good, too. When it was ready, I removed it from the fire and looked for water to douse the blaze.

Minato made a few hand seals and spat water onto my fire. “There you go.”

From there, we settled in to eat what we’d killed.


	3. Chapter 3

Just like any other shinobi, we started with D-Ranks. We basically did the village’s chores for the first few months.

Then Minato got us a C-Rank. “We’re going to be going out of the village for the next mission. It shouldn’t be too hard, just running a message.” He informed us.

“When do we leave?” Obito bounced on his feet, excited.

“Tomorrow. Pack for a week.”

I wondered whose idea it was to let a group of fucking nine-year-olds run a missive. The Hokage?

“Um, Minato-san,” I began. Minato had long gotten used to me rarely using honorifics, and never being properly formal. “Where’re we gonna go?”

“Glad you asked, Shion-chan. Our destination is a small village known as Naguri. It’s a key point along a trade route, so we have guards stationed there at all times. Our job is to bring the mission scroll to the guards and then return home. There’s a very low chance that there will be any combat on this mission, but prep anyway.”

Translation: we were fucked. I just fucking knew it.

I decided to get a proper outfit for my first real mission. I picked out a navy blue turtleneck that was a size too large for me, and the standard black shinobi pants and blue sandals. Over that, I wore a black hooded vest with armor in it, bought with most of my pocket money. My hitai-ate went around my neck to protect it and I pulled up the hood of my vest to cover my white hair and protect my head.

I also restocked my kunai and invested in a pair of fingerless gloves with plated knuckles. My store of smoke tags, which I enjoyed using since I had hawk-sharp ears even as a human, also needed to be refilled.

I met the rest of Team Minato at the gates the next morning, feeling in my gut that this was going to go horribly wrong.

We started off at a leisurely pace for shinobi, but fast for a civilian. All of us used the Hashirama trees as footholds to leap from, covering more distance than just walking would have.

That first night, we set up camp in a clearing and caught some squirrels to eat for dinner. Obito looked at me, meeting my red eyes with confusion. “Couldn’t you have done that thing with the bird?” He asked.

“Thing with the bird?” Kakashi repeated in just as much confusion.

“Shion-chan has a Kekkai Genkai.” Obito explained.

Minato looked over. “She what?”

I shrugged. “Think Inuzuka but birds. I turn inta a bird partly or fully. Otou-san and I are th’ only members o’ the clan left, they all died out durin’ the Second Shinobi War.”

“And you never mentioned this because?” Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

I smirked. “Ya never asked, and I don’ like ya too much, Hatake.”

“This is important information, Shion-chan.” Minato said gravely.

“I assumed ya knew, Minato-san. Thought ya’d have all that info.”

“Well, I didn’t. Can we see your technique tomorrow?”

“Eh, why th’ fuck not.”

Obito slammed his fist into his other palm. “ _ That’s _ why you hear so good!”

I nodded. “I’ll take firs’ watch.” I changed the subject.

The others settled down to sleep.

Nothing happened that night, and in the morning we broke camp.

“Now, Shion-chan, let’s see your technique.”

I didn’t need to say the name of the technique, but decided to anyway. “Takasu-Style Body Shift: Full Form!” I shifted down into a black-and-brown bird.

“Huh, a Jackal Buzzard.” Minato commented. “Useful. You mentioned a partial shift?”

I shifted back and showed off sharp taloned fingers, then rolled my sleeve up to show dark feathers. “I can only do th’ arms, but Otou-san can do any part o’ th’ bird, even wings!”

“And the cost?”

“I burn twice as many calories in th’ bird form. Th’ partial makes my skin a little raw and oversensitive after usin’ it.”

“Interesting. Let’s get moving, then.” Minato herded us onwards.

The second day was uneventful, but on the third, we were fucking ambushed. I god damn knew it was going to happen.

Bandits cornered us on the road, twenty of them. Minato drew his Flying Thunder God kunai.

As he engaged some, one broke off and swung a (badly forged) sword at me. I ducked and kicked him in the groin. He doubled over and another bandit attacked. 

He stabbed at me with a kunai and caught me on my armored vest. I knew it was a good purchase. He swung again, this time getting me in the upper arm. I felt blood leak from the gash. He then picked me up by my injured arm and raised his kunai again.

Panicking, I tore out his throat with my taloned hand. Blood spilled over my hand, warm and wet, as the man dropped me. He clapped a hand to his throat and fell over.

Obito’s Great Fireball incinerated the one I’d kicked, who was just getting to his feet. Minato and Kakashi took care of the others as I processed what had just happened.

There was blood on my hands. I was a fucking murderer.

I felt my breath come in harsh gasps as I stared at my bloody hand. I could still feel the flesh tearing under my talons. The resistance as I ripped through his throat.

I heard Obito throwing up. He’d just killed someone too.

We were just nine, and we were killers.

Someone was standing in front of me. I looked away from my hand. It was Minato. He took my right arm and wound a bandage around the gash in it. “Shion-chan, breathe.”

I took a shaky breath and let it out. Alright. Just treat it like the rabbit. It had to happen for you to survive.

Kakashi scoffed from his place near a pile of bodies. “Kids.” I heard him mutter.

“We can’t all be ya, Hatake!” I snapped.

“Well, you bounced back quickly.” Minato said, a little fucking concern in his voice. He went to tend to Obito as I glared at our teammate.

“How am I different?”

“News flash, mister prodigy, normal people ain’t chunin at nine!” I pointed out.

Kakashi threw a rock at me. Glad to see he was a nine-year-old after all. I stuck my tongue out at him. He responded by oh so maturely rolling his eyes.

Once Obito was no longer about to faint, we continued on.

We reached the town, handed over the missive, and returned home with no further issues.

“Shion-chan, you should get your arm looked at. You two go with her.” Minato told us. “I’ll handle the Hokage.”

I trudged to the hospital as Obito and Kakashi trailed behind me like a pair of lost puppies.

Rin met me there. “Shion-chan, what happened?”

“Bandits. C-Rank. Got stabbed.” I summarized. I pointed at my shoulder with my other hand. “Why’re ya here?”

“My team failed out. I’m apprenticing under the doctors here instead.” She led me to a room, shooing away the boys. “Let me see your arm.”

I unwound the bandage to show her the cut. She grimaced. “This is going to scar.”

I shrugged. “Who cares?” I wasn’t feeling great, since I needed another appointment with Inori-sensei in a few days.

“Shion-chan…” Rin said warningly. “I’ll get a doctor, you stay put.”

She came back with Inori-sensei, of all the people. “Ah, Shion-chan, I hear you got hurt. What happened?”

“Bandits.” I grumbled.

He used the Mystic Palm on my shoulder, making the pain go away and the flesh knit together, leaving a faint scar on my arm.

“Rin-chan, I need to speak to Shion-chan here in private. Could you check over the two eavesdroppers?”

I heard a muffled “shit” from behind the door. Obito and Kakashi scattered as Rin opened the door.

Inori-sensei closed and locked the door. “What really happened?”

“Bandits. But I…” Words fucking deserted me. “I...one o’ ‘em…”

“You killed him.” The blond man deduced.

I nodded.

“I see.” He formed a hand seal and we were inside my mind, full again of black gunk. As he burned it off, he kept talking. “You seem less shaken-up than I had expected.”

“I think ‘s th’ apathy.” I muttered. “Jus’ don’ care enough.”

“ _ I _ think you’re also in shock.” He replied as he finished his circuit of my mind.

We left my mind and woke up. Inori-sensei patted me on the shoulder. “Go home.”

I obeyed. Otou-san was out on a mission at that point, so I was home alone.

I sighed and closed the door, then went to my room to get some fucking sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shion and I are angry people, as a rule. We're also prone to jumping to conclusions. I tried to keep it as faithful to who I actually am as possible. Even the unflattering parts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years later.

Time passed. I grew taller. At age eleven, I was still below average height, but with the kind of lean muscle I could only dream of having in my old life. I kept my hair short, in a boyish cut that reduced the risk of getting grabbed by the hair in a fight.

The latest Chunin Exams were fast approaching, and Minato was going to sign us up for them. Fuck, when was that Kannabi Bridge mission again? After the Exams, I was sure, and not long after Kakashi made Jonin, but fuck, that left no time at all! I was going to die within two years, if things went their course.

I shoved that thought to the back of my mind and approached Obito at the training ground. He was practicing a fire jutsu.

“Yo!”

“Shion-chan, hello!” He waved.

We had gotten good at fighting together, he and I. With Kakashi too, but he was already a chunin and couldn’t participate with us.

“I was talking to some o’ our friends ‘bout the Chunin Exams.” I told him.

“Who?”

“Inuzuka Tsume, Hyuga Himawari, ya know, th’ Chunin crowd. I got some info outta ‘em.”

Obito grinned. “What?”

I smiled a fierce smile. “There’s a paper test every time, but th’ real goal is t’ psych ya out. Just don’ give up, an’ we’ll be fine.”

His grin grew fierce as well. “I’m good at not giving up.”

Rin jogged into the training ground. She was to be our third teammate for the exams. Obito repeated what I’d told him and she nodded.

“Makes sense.” She said. “They want strong minds and strong bodies.”

“Rin, how’s yer chakra scalpels?” I challenged.

She smiled and strode over to a training dummy. Her hand slid right through its gut. “Good enough.”

I sparred with her and Obito for a bit, then we went our separate ways.

The day of the Exams, I was nervous beyond belief. Not for the Exams themself, but for what the damn thing meant about the timeline. Things were moving fast.

I was fidgeting with a kunai when Otou-san put a hand on my shoulder. “Shion.”

“Yeah?”

“If you make it to the final stage, there’s a special scroll passed down through the family you can have.” He wasn’t very good at expressing himself. That was alright, neither was I. “I’m proud of you, chunin or no.”

I hugged him.

When I met Obito and Rin, they looked about as nervous as I felt.

“Everyone ready?” Minato chirped.

“Sensei, you’re too cheerful.” Obito groaned.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Come on.” He led us to the testing center.

We were given numbered seats and papers.

The proctor gave a spiel about how those caught cheating three times would be disqualified.

I didn’t even bother with the questions, doodling a bird on the back of the paper instead.

Obito seemed to have remained calm, and appeared to be answering the questions as best he was able.

Same old tenth question bullshit as in the show, and my team held firm.

Then Uzumaki fucking Kushina walked in and announced she’d explain the second part of the test.

“Alright, kiddies, follow me.”

She led us to Training Ground 44. The Forest of Death. Lovely.

We all had to sign death waivers before she continued. “The objective of this portion of the exam is to survive. Each team will be given a scroll, and opening it is an instant forfeit, and will get your team safely removed from the forest and brought to the hospital. If you manage to survive three days in there without opening the scroll, you move on to the third stage. You may not leave the forest, or you forfeit.” She explained.

That was a damn sight easier than I’d expected.

“Did I mention that you’re forbidden to fight each other? Because you are.”

Even better. This was going to be a cakewalk.

Rin, Obito, and I scaled one of the trees to plot. “I have food in a storage seal.” Obito offered. “All we need to do is stay up here.”

I shook my head. “Yer forgetting th’ wildlife. We gotta be on th’ move at all times.” I pointed a few trees away, where a giant tiger was lounging. “See?”

For the next three days, we stayed on the move. We only stopped to eat and sleep, and even then we took shifts.

On the evening of the third day, the scroll popped open and Kushina appeared. “Wow, only three teams made it this time. We’ll have to have a truncated third stage.”

“Huh?”

“Only six teams entered the forest, and the other three got disqualified due to injury or opening the scroll.”

I blinked. “When’s th’ third stage?”

“In one month. Follow me, kids.” She led us out of the forest, to where the other teams were waiting.

One was composed of people I knew in passing. Maito fucking Gai, a Hyuga named Nika, and Shiranui Genma.

The others were older, so I didn’t recognize them.

“In one month, we'll hold the third stage of the exams.” Kushina said loudly. “Train and prepare until then.”

I headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would appreciate any feedback.


	5. Chapter 5

When Otou-san heard I had made it to the final stage, he was over the moon with pride. “Shion, let me teach you something.” He said the next day.

I cocked my head.

He led me back to the cave where I’d awakened my Kekkai Genkai and pulled out an old scroll. “This is the Takasu Summoning contract. Once you sign it, you get a nin-bird partner you can summon.”

He had me sign it in my blood. “Now, copy my hand seals and try to summon.”

I copied his example and a puff of smoke blinded me for a minute. When it cleared, there was a bird standing on the ground. A big bird, a Bearded Vulture. “I am Asim, and you, human?”

“Takasu Shion.” I replied. “Yer my partner?”

“Indeed.” Asim fluttered up to my shoulder and sat there. He was damn heavy. “I am your nin-animal.”

“So, Shion, let’s train you and Asim to work together.” Otou-san seemed delighted. He ran through the hand seals and summoned his own partner, a Golden Eagle. He was introduced as Kudret.

The month was spent training with Asim, who was a good-ass partner. We worked well together, and he was clever.

Then came the day of the third stage.

I met Obito and Rin at the arena, and noted the change in Obito’s attire. He wore the standard shinobi pants, but his jacket was replaced by a blue shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back and mesh under it. His goggles remained, though.

Rin hadn’t changed her attire at all, but hers was practical as it was.

I hugged Obito, then Rin. I was so damned glad they put up with my hugging.

“So, Shion-chan, how do you think you’ll do?” Obito chirped.

I shrugged. “We just hafta impress th’ proctors, so hopefully I’ll be fine.”

“Unless you get matched with Gai.” Rin pointed out.

“True.” I conceded. “But Gai’s...special.”

We entered the arena and joined the others in the competitor’s section of the stands. The arena was packed with people, all of them eager to see a bunch of kids beat the shit out of each other.

So maybe I was a little fucking nervous. So sue me.

The first match was me against the Hyuga, Nika. Fuck.

I entered the actual arena part of the arena and faced my opponent. She had purple-black hair pulled into a braid and a loose flowy shirt that just begged me to use it as a handhold. She was also a few inches taller than me.

She smiled. “Let’s have a good match!” I was so fucked.

I nodded at her. “Sure.”

The proctor gave the signal to start and I ran through some hand seals. “Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!” I aimed at her and breathed out a stream of fire. Obito had taught me that one.

She elegantly dodged it and came running at me, hands ready to strike and Byakugan active.

I made another set of seals. “Summoning Jutsu!” I summoned Asim.

He took wing and harried Nika, getting in her face as I drew a kunai and charged.

The Hyuga had her hands up to protect her face, so I went low.

I threw an elbow into her stomach. She doubled over, retching. Asim swooped in and slammed into her head. She fell.

I put my kunai to her throat, but she struck out. My arm went numb and the chakra there stopped flowing properly.

I leapt back, swearing in my head. This was bad. Now she knew my tricks.

Asim dive-bombed her, but now she was on the offensive. The Hyuga lashed out and closed some of his tenketsu. The bird fell and unsummoned. Crap.

She got back into her stance. Double crap.

“Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms!” Triple crap.

I managed to take most of the hits on my arms, but that left them useless for jutsu. I was still in the game, though. I could still hold a fucking kunai.

I threw a kunai at her, but she just swayed out of the way. Fuck.

The smoke tags would be useless for this fight, so what could I do?

Nika ran at me and I was forced backwards. She kept closing tenketsu when I failed to dodge her hits, slowly shutting me down.

I managed to stab a kunai through one of her hands. She reeled back and recentered herself. “Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!”

I lost consciousness after that.

I woke up in the hospital with my tenketsu reopened. I bit my thumb and ran through hand seals. “Summoning Jutsu.”

Asim popped into existence on my bed. “Shion!” He hopped over to me and settled down under my left arm. “Kudret says I can’t fly for a week.”

“Sorry.” I apologized.

“Don’t be sorry!” He pecked me gently. “We may not have won, but we put on a good show!”

Minato poked his head into the room. “Your little friend is right.”

“How damn long’ve I been out?”

“Two days. Rin and Obito won their first matches, but then Obito had to fight Gai. He lost. Rin was defeated by a genin with far more experience than her.”

“Are they okay?”

“Obito broke his arm, but neither of them got knocked out like you.” He ruffled my hair.

“Minato-san!” I whined.

Asim laughed at my misery. He then got a hand smoothing down his feathers from Minato. He squawked. I laughed at the role reversal.

Obito’s head popped around the doorframe. “Shion-chan, you’re awake!” His arm was in a sling and he had bruises on his face.

I watched Minato move to let Obito sit by the bed. “Since when could you summon?” He asked me.

“Otou-san taught me in order t’ prepare fer the finals.” I replied. “This is Asim.”

Asim inclined his head at the two. “I am Shion’s nin-animal partner.” He explained. “The variation of the Summoning Contract that her clan holds only allows for one minor bird summons per person.”

Minato hummed in thought. “This will make missions easier.”

Rin entered the room, sporting an impressive black eye. “Shion-chan, you’re up! We thought you’d be out longer.”

I flushed. “Do people normally fuckin’ faint at th’ Gentle Fist?”

“They do when they’ve had that many of their tenketsu closed.” Rin confirmed. “But you made quite the impression, fighting with your arms disabled like that.”

Asim fixed a beady eye on me. “Why am I not surprised.” He said in his harsh voice.

“I got her good.” I grinned. “Got a kunai through her fuckin’ hand. I should prolly apologize fer that.”

Inori-sensei came in. “Everyone out but Rin-chan! Shion-chan needs a checkup!”

“What’re ya, my personal doc? I always see ya ‘stead o’ another doctor.”

“Hayaji asked me to make sure you were alright. I owe him a great deal, so I do my best to watch you. Besides, I’ve got a soft spot for you.”

Huh. That made an impressive amount of sense. “Thanks…” I muttered.

I was released from the hospital the next day, with a warning not to do anything too strenuous.

A week later, Rin, Obito, myself, Gai, Nika(who I’d apologized to for stabbing her), and Genma were all made chunin.

I hung the flak jacket up and never wore it again. No sense advertising my rank. Besides, I preferred my black armored vest. It had just as many pockets.

Obito, it seemed, agreed with me. I saw him wear the damn thing a grand total of once.

Rin never wore it because she was a medic, and it would just get in the way.

Minato gathered us on a training ground not long after our promotion. It was me, Kakashi, and Obito.

“Kakashi, the dogs need to get used to your teammates. Shion-chan, I think you should introduce Asim properly.”

The two of us summoned.

Oh my god, PUPPIES! Kakashi had eight cute-ass doggos!

Asim landed on my shoulder. “No battle today?”

“Nah, Minato-san wants me t’ introduce ya t’ the team.” I replied, scratching his chin where he liked it.

“Oh, so you can summon as well.” Kakashi observed.

“Yep. Meet Asim. Asim, Obito an’ Kakashi, my teammates.”

Kakashi introduced his dogs as well, but I knew, being how bad with names I was, I would never remember them.

Obito stared in awe? Envy? I was bad at reading emotions. “Wish I had a summoning contract.”

“Ya don’ need one.” I pointed out. “Yer deadly enough as is.”

“Really?”

Asim took off and landed on Obito’s outstretched arm. “Hello there.” Obito stroked his back gently. “You’re a big one. What kind of bird are you?”

“I am a Bearded Vulture. Also called Lammergeier. We are some of the largest birds around, barring summon animals.” He preened.

“Cool.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I happen to love birds of prey. Can you tell?  
> Side note: Asim means protector and Kudret means power or might.


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks later, Kakashi was promoted to Jonin. I got him a new scarf with pawprints on it. Rin gave him a poison testing kit.

And Obito? “So I forgot, who cares!?”

The boys and I were called in to a meeting with Minato and the Hokage. Our first mission as chunin was to destroy Kannabi Bridge. Fuck.

Minato handed Kakashi three demolitions charges. “You need all three to do the best job, but in a pinch you can use two.”

And we were off.

As we traveled, the boys jabbed at each other verbally, all in good fun of course.

I got more and more nervous as we approached the area.

And of fucking course, we were attacked. Typical.

I didn’t remember much of this part of the show, so I had no clue who we were up against. Not that it mattered, because one of them popped out of fucking nowhere and snatched me.

He brought me back to the cave where Obito was crushed in the show and used a Lightning Jutsu to paralyze me. “What is your objective?”

I remained silent. I wasn’t going to give this bastard the satisfaction of a response.

The man tutted. “This could have been painless.” He took his kunai and started to skin my left hand.

God, it hurt like hell. I couldn’t do anything but watch.

From there, he started to cut into muscle. Muscle was separated from bone and ligament and sinew, all laid out like a macabre anatomy exhibit.

“If you talk, I’ll stop.” He told me as he dissected my lower arm.

No, he fucking wouldn’t. I knew that much. And If I talked, he’d just kill me.

He stopped and exited, muttering about how his fellows were useless.

A few minutes later, the boys burst in, Obito’s new Sharingan whirling and Kakashi bleeding from where his left eye was.

“Shion-chan!”

I tried to move, but couldn’t manage it. “‘M...paralyzed.”

“Your hand.” Kakashi muttered.

“Not too bad.” I lied. I tried again to move. This time I managed a slow movement of my right arm. “We...gotta get outta here!”

“Not until we get that arm wrapped.” Obito said firmly.

“Ya don’ get it, we’re not safe yet!”

Something rumbled and Obito shoved Kakashi and I out of the way of falling rocks.

It was bad, when the dust cleared. He was completely fucking crushed under a jagged boulder, blood slowly spreading from his body.

“Obito!” I ran to his side, ignoring the pain in my left arm.

“You...know medical ninjutsu, right?” He coughed.

No. No no no this wasn’t happening. “Don’ talk! Yer gonna be fine!” I lied.

Kakashi knelt beside me. “Shion-chan, it’s too late.”

“Shion-chan, take...my eye. Give it to...Kakashi. He needs someone to...to look out for him.”

Kakashi jolted.

“Consider it...my present for your promotion.”

“Are you sure about this?” Kakashi asked, voice steady.

“Do it!” He coughed again.

I channeled chakra to my good hand and set about preparing for the transplant. First I had to coax the nerve to disconnect.

It took two minutes before the eye popped out, slimy to the touch. I turned to Kakashi. “Let me see your eye.”

He opened it, and that was damn nasty. I set the eye down on Obito’s chest and cleared out Kakashi’s damaged one.

“Here we go.” I picked the eye back up and tilted Kakashi’s head back so I could line up the nerves. I connected them and eased the eyeball into its new socket. “There.”

“Now go. Complete...the mission.”

“‘M sorry.” I told him.

“Not...your fault. Go.”

I followed Kakashi out of the cave, where the man who’d tortured me was bleeding into the ground and laughing. I took a kunai and cut his throat.

Kakashi pulled out bandages. “Your arm.”

I let him wrap it. Most of me was too busy screaming into the void about how I should have said something to prevent this. To save my brother.

“Come on, we have to complete the mission.”

I followed him obediently through the trees. We reached the bridge and I handed him the charges. Kakashi set them and we left to the sound of the bridge crumbling.

Minato met us at the rendezvous point, and dimly I heard Kakashi explain what had happened. None of it mattered to me. Not the mission, not my arm. I’d gotten my brother into serious fucking trouble. Now he would be stuck with Madara for who knows how long.

It was all my fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, as someone with a brother, imagining this happening to him made me need to make sure he was alright. I had a hard time writing this, and it shows, I think.


	7. Chapter 7

I was brought to the hospital and my arm was put back together, though it would always be a little achey and scars lined the limb. I didn’t care about that shit, though.

I don’t remember much of the next few months. I wandered around in a haze of guilt and avoided everyone else. I took missions just to try to forget what I’d caused.

Until Kakashi and Rin dragged me to Minato and Kushina.

“Shion-chan.” Minato said. “Please, you need to rest.”

“‘M fine, Minato-san.” I replied dully.

Kushina, who I didn’t really know too well despite her being married to my teacher, since she was always busy when I wasn’t, frowned. “No, you’re not.” She retorted.

So maybe I kept losing sleep, and maybe eating wasn’t a priority, but so what? I was FINE.

Rin whacked me up the head. “When did you last get a full night of sleep, you idiot!?”

I thought about it. “Um…”

“That’s what I thought.” She crossed her arms.

Minato took over. “Shion-chan, we lost Obito, we can’t lose you too.”

Kakashi just glared disapprovingly.

I shrugged apathetically. “Sure, sure. Now can I go? I got a mission to run.”

“No, you don’t. As of now, you’re on psychiatric leave.” My teacher replied.

Really?  _ Really? _ They were going to fucking do this to me?

“Yer jokin’.”

“Hokage’s orders. You’re forbidden from taking any missions for a month.” Minato explained.

Great. Now how was I going to distract myself from my colossal fuckups?

Kushina crossed her arms. “You’re coming shopping with me.”

I hated shopping. “I’d really rather-”

“You’re. Coming. Shopping. With. Me.” She repeated, sickly sweet but glaring.

I gave in.

She dragged me and Rin to a bunch of different shops, but I didn’t buy anything. Didn’t see the point.

Afterwards, she led Rin and I to an unused training ground to just sit and eat.

“Shion-chan…” Rin said softly. “When was the last time you talked to Asim?” I’d introduced Rin to my partner, and the two got along well.

“Dunno.” I muttered, not really caring.

“When did you last really talk to anyone?”

I shrugged lazily. I didn’t have it in me to care about that sort of thing.

“Come on, talk to us.” Kushina chipped in. “What’s wrong?”

“I got Obito killed!” I snarled, momentarily breaking free of my apathy. “I was a dead weight and it-it shoulda been me. He pushed me outta th’ way. It shoulda been me!”

My arm ached. I ignored it.

Rin looked profoundly sad. “That’s not true!” She protested. “You didn’t perform the jutsu that killed him!”

“No, but it was my fault they were there in th’ first place!” I put my head in my hands. “Cause I got taken, th’ mission was derailed.”

“You didn’t get caught on purpose.” Kushina refuted.

“I shoulda escaped before he paralyzed me!” I laughed at my own stupid fucking brain. “If I’d just fuckin’ used my Kekkai Genkai, I’d have escaped. But I was too startled ta react. I fuckin’ froze up, and now my brother’s-”  _ suffering _ “-dead!”

“Everyone makes mistakes.” Kushina replied. “All you can do is learn from them.”

“I got my brother KILLED! Spare me yer meaningless fuckin’ platitudes!” I felt tears drip down my face. “I got him killed…” My breath hitched and I started sobbing. Fuck.

Kushina pulled me into a hug, and I bawled like the eleven-year-old I was.

That didn’t instantly solve the problem. I still woke up in a cold sweat most nights, but I could snatch enough sleep to get by. I ate more, though, and it was just that much easier to get through the day.

A few days later, I summoned Asim for the first time since, hell, since before Kannabi.

“What happened, Shion?” He knew me too well.

“Obito...he’s…” I shook my head. “I got him...got him killed.”

Asim pecked me. “Explain.”

So I told him what had happened. How I’d been taken and the boys went after me, how Obito had pushed me out of the way.

He ran his beak through my hair soothingly. “And you blame yourself? Shion, you’re not some kind of god! You’re still a chick! You couldn’t have done anything!”

“I knew it would happen. I should have told someone!”

Asim stopped moving. “What do you mean?”

I told him everything. That I was reborn, that I saw the future of this world in a book, that I knew what was going to happen on that mission, everything.

My partner sat there stunned.

“Don’ tell anybody.” I begged him.

“I won’t...Even with this new information, I still believe there’s nothing you could have done. You’re ELEVEN, not even a teenager yet! You shouldn’t have to be responsible for someone else’s life!” He hopped into my lap. “Stop blaming yourself for what’s out of your control.”

“Dammit, stop makin’ sense!” I felt tears well up again. “It’s really not my fault?” I asked in a small voice.

“Of course it isn’t.” Asim replied calmly. “You aren’t at fault for this.”

I cried.


	8. Chapter 8

A few more months passed. The war was still going on. Minato had made quite the name for himself in it. I was now twelve. I had an unmemorable birthday, out on another mission. But that was a month ago.

I sighed and looked at Rin, who was walking to an injured shinobi to treat him, then heaved an enemy body over my shoulder and carried it to the pile of bodies that was already ablaze. I tossed it onto the pyre and went for another one.

Something struck me on the back of the head and I fainted.

I woke up with my shirt missing and some Kiri-nin fucking drawing on my stomach.

_ Wonderful. _

He had another Kiri-nin carry a seal-covered jar in and then PAIN.

When I recovered, there was another presence in my chakra coils. The Sanbi.

I tested my bonds. I could slip a hand out of them with a little work, and so I did. Fucking shoddy knots.

I tore out the throat of my guard with taloned hands.

His death rattles alerted his companions to my awakening, so I ran out of the cave and through the trees.

I bounded from tree to tree, feeling the heavy chakra of the Sanbi weighing on my coils. It felt like a weighted shroud on my body. It reminded me of my plan.

Kakashi ran almost right into me. “Shion! Rin said you were kidnapped!”

“I was.” I glanced over my shoulder. “They’re comin’.”

The first nin got a kunai to the face courtesy of my teammate. I pulled my own kunai from my pouch and defended myself from another one. Obito burst through the trees just in time to impale a third.

I had known, logically, that Obito was still alive, but knowing something and believing it are two different things. Seeing him took a weight off my shoulders. I still had a chance to save my brother.

The boys were a force to reckon with when together, that much was certain.They tore through the nin that came at us like fucking scythes of death.

Once all the enemy were dead, I felt the compulsion to head to Konoha. It was really strong, but I was expecting that. “When ya get back t’ th’ village,” I told the boys, “There’s a box under my bed. A letter’ll be on top o’ it. Give both t’ Minato-san.”

“You’re talking like you aren’t coming back with us.” Obito cried.

I nodded. “I can’t. ‘S what these bastards” I kicked a dead nin in demonstration “want me t’ do.”

I shifted forms and took wing.

I heard the boys calling after me, but ignored them and the strong compulsion to head to the village in order to find a place far from any shinobi or battles.

I finally landed, almost two days later, in a mountain range, high up on one of the mountains, where I could see the land stretch out below me. It was beautiful.

I shifted back and sat on a ledge, legs dangling off the edge. I looked at the sloppy seal on my midsection and sighed. “Might as well keep family tradition.” I remarked, then began to sing.

“ _ Amazing grace, how sweet the sound _

_ That saved a wretch like me _

_ I once was lost, but now I am found _

_ Was blind, but now I see _

_ 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear _

_ And grace my fears relieved _

_ How precious did that grace appear _

_ The hour I first believed _

_ Through many dangers, toils and snares _

_ We have already come _

_ 'Twas grace has brought us safe thus far _

_ And grace will lead us home _

_ When we've been there ten thousand years _

_ Bright, shining as the sun _

_ We've no less days to sing God's praise _

_ Than when we've first begun _

_ Amazing grace, how sweet the sound _

_ That saved a wretch like me _

_ I once was lost, but now I am found _

_ Was blind, but now I see _ .” As the last note faded, I felt the Sanbi stir.

**Human, what are you doing?** He rumbled.

“Singin’.”

**Why sing now?**

“It was the song my family sang at my grandmother’s funeral. I figured since I’m dyin’ soon, might as well keep t’ th’ tradition.”

**Who said you are going to die?**

“The seal won’ hold much longer. ‘M not stupid. Jus’ cause yer talkin’ t’ me don’ mean ya don’ want freedom. It’s only natural t’ want t’ be free, so go on and put me outta my misery.”

His chakra surged, but then it subsided.  **Those fools did too good of a job! This seal won’t break for weeks at the earliest! Damnation! My only way out is if you let me out!**

I almost passed out. I still had a chance to survive. After so long knowing my fate, to have the slate blanked again was an almost surreal feeling.

I got to my feet. “Sorry, Sanbi, but looks like yer not gonna be freed after all. If there’s time, I still got a chance t’ turn this ‘round.”

**I assumed as much.**

I walked a bit into a cave and lay down. “I’ll give ya tonight t’ try and escape.” I yawned and lay down. Flying for so long was always tiring.

I fell asleep and came face-to-face with the Three-Tailed Turtle.

“ **Hello, human.** ” My mindscape now abruptly ended in a beach, where he lay in the surf, and he was fucking covered in chains. His tails were chained down, his head was chained down, the poor guy was unable to move at all.

Floating above him was the seal that compelled me to return home and release the Bijuu. I took off as a hawk to examine the seal, ignoring the Sanbi for a few seconds. “Yo, if I fed ya this seal, what d’ya think’ll happen?”

“ **I would not recommend that.** ” He replied. “ **I think it would make the seal affect me as well as you.** ”

“Never mind. Ya seem rather...calm ‘bout this.”

“ **Better in a human than sealed in a jar again.** ”

“That sounds borin’.” I agreed. “And ya get t’ look at my memories, huh?”

“ **Not with this seal. All I get is senses.** ”

“Then fair warnin’, I know th’ far future.”

He groaned. “ **A deluded human, wonderful.** ”

“Yer name’s Isobu, if I recall correctly.” I replied.

He roared. Loudly. I covered my ears. “ **You do not get to use my name!** ” He snarled, trying in vain to get at me.

“Wasn’ plannin’ t’. Jus’ wanted t’ prove my point.” I replied, striving for calm. “Stop thrashin’, yer just hurtin’ yerself.”

He roared again and I decided to leave him in peace.

I woke up, stiff and cold, and still without a shirt, covered in the morning dew.

“Ugh.” I muttered, shaking myself off.

The turtle was still raging as I took wing. I ignored him.

I flew slower this time. Now that I wasn’t on the verge of panic, I flew half as fast in order to save my strength. It took me four days to find the village. I touched down outside of the walls and shifted back to human form.

One of the gate guards started. “State your business!”

His partner elbowed him and pointed at my neck, where my hitai-ate was still visible.

“Name and Shinobi ID!”

I rattled them off, then saw Rin through the gate. She saw me as well.

“Shion-chan!” She cried. The gate guards let her through to tackle me in a hug.

I clung to her tightly. It was just now hitting me that I might have a chance to live. The compulsion to release the Bijuu was stronger now, but Inori-sensei had taught me a few tricks for fighting off mental compulsion or intrusion, so I could safely ignore it.

She let go and slapped me.

“Ow! Rin,  _ why _ ?”

“The letter, you idiot!”

The box I’d told the boys about had everything I remembered of the plot in it, as well as letters for my teammates, Otou-san, and Rin. The letter on top was for Minato.

Her letter had just told her that I was glad to be her friend and that I was sorry we couldn’t keep spending time together, since I was going to be dead if she was reading it.

“Oh.” She cared more than I’d realized.

Rin dragged me through the gates and across the village to the Hokage tower. She and I entered Minato’s office, where Obito and Kakashi were in the middle of a meeting with him.

“Shion-chan?” Minato rubbed his eyes. “Am I seeing things?”

“If you are, I am.” Obito replied. “Rin-chan, what…”

“She appeared outside the gates. Was telling the gate guards her ID number.” Rin explained. “I thought that this would be the best place to bring her.”

Minato approached me. “That letter...were you telling the truth?”

“As far’s I know.”

“Then the Sanbi?”

I pointed at my stomach. “Throwin’ a fuckin’ shit fit ‘cause I used his name.”

“We’re going to need to fix that seal.” He sighed. “But first, we need to tell your father you’re back.”

I shivered. “Can I get a shirt first?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based on how, if I knew I was about to die, I'd probably start singing the same thing. It would be one hell of a peaceful feeling in comparison to normal life, and Shion needed that.


	9. Chapter 9

After reassuring Otou-san that I was alive and well, Minato had me come to his home to look over my seal.

I laid on the ground as he and Kushina studied it.

“We’re going to need to modify it.” The redhead said.

Minato nodded. “Layer a Three-Point seal over this one?”

“I was thinking of a Five-Point. Also an Evil Sealing over her heart for the Puppet-Master Seal, just like with Obito.”

“Probably best.” The two got to work.

When it was over, the Sanbi’s chakra wasn’t weighing heavy on my body anymore.

“That should do it.” Kushina put her brush away. “Remind me to teach you how to deal with a Bijuu.”

I feigned confusion. “Ya mean yer…”

“Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, at your service.” She chirped, grinning.

“How does one deal with a Bijuu?”

“Don’t listen to a word it says.”

I frowned. “That seems pretty fuckin’ rude.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean they’re still fuckin’ sentient bein’s, ain’t they? They deserve at least t’ be listened t’!” I replied. “And I bet they got names, too.”

“Sentient beings? They’re masses of chakra with minds!”

“But they  _ do  _ have minds.” Minato mused.

“You know what? Let me just teach you to meditate so you can see how futile it is.”

Once she’d told me what to do, I did it and ended up in my mindscape.

“ **Back, little seer?** ” He’d calmed down.

“My name is Shion.” I approached him. “And I’m going t’ get ya outta those chains.”

“ **What you said to that redhead, did you really mean it?** ”

As I worked on the first chain, I nodded. “Any sentient bein’ deserves t’ be treated like one.” The chain unravelled from his thumb and I began to work on the next one.

“ **You are an odd human indeed.** ”

The next chain came free. “I take that as a compliment.”

“ **I think I shall enjoy working with you, little seer.** ”

I managed to get his entire left hand free before I had to leave.

“So, Shion-chan?”

“He said he thinks he’ll enjoy workin’ with me.” I told her. “And that ’m a weird human.”

Kushina gaped. “No threats?”

“I think he just don’ know what t’ make o’ me.” I shrugged.

She sputtered.

“Enough of that, did you really mean it in my letter, that you saw the future?” Minato changed the subject.

“I saw  _ a _ future. One where Rin’s in my place and died a week ago in order t’ keep the Sanbi from being unleashed on th’ village. Obito watched her kill herself via Kakashi, and he went insane.”

“And the rest is as you wrote.” He concluded. “So you had this...vision...and told nobody?”

“I didn’ think I’d be believed.” I mumbled, looking away.

“And you left this because you thought that your seal was going to break right away and that you were going to die.”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve known for years that you were likely going to die.”

I nodded. “I...tried t’ avoid thinkin’ ‘bout it.”

He pulled me into a hug. “It’s past now.”

I relaxed in his hold. At least until I realized I was still fucking missing my shirt.

“Um, can I get a shirt?”

“Kakashi’s left some in the guest bedroom. Not sure if they’ll fit you, though.” Kushina informed me.

I followed her to the guest room and pulled on one of Kakashi’s ridiculous mask-turtlenecks. I left the mask down.

**Why are they called turtlenecks? They look nothing like a turtle.** The Sanbi chose that moment to chip in.

_ Hell if I know. _

I returned to the main room and noticed that Rin, Obito, and Kakashi had arrived.

“Shion-chan, did you really see the future?” Obito burst out.

“I did.” I looked away from them. “I saw ya get crushed, and I couldn’ stop it from happenin’ again.”

He grabbed my arm. “Stop. Blaming. Yourself.”

“But ‘cause o’ me, ya had t’ spend months with  _ Madara _ !”

“It wasn’t that bad. I had Zetsu and Guruguru.”

“Zetsu’s evil.” I informed him. “They’re working for Otsutsuki Kaguya t’ bring her back t’ life and kill everyone.”

“Okay, I’m going to need you to start over.” Minato broke in. “Did you say Madara?”

I sighed. “Obito was rescued by Uchiha Madara, who was tryin’ t’ turn him against the village. In the timeline I saw, he succeeds. Obito then interrupts the birth o’ your son, causin’ you and Kushina t’ die, and leadin’ yer son t’ grow up an orphan.”

“I’m not letting that happen.” Obito said determinedly. “I would never-”

“Other-you watched Rin commit suicide-by-Kakashi. Without knowing it was suicide. And Madara had ya fer months, tryin’ t’ subvert yer way o’ thinkin’.”

He grimaced, which did funny things to the whorls of his scars. “That would do it.”

“Uchiha Madara is still alive!?” Kushina shrieked.

“He dies some time soon. Obito takes up his name at some point. Sorry, the details are fuzzy. Ya should probably check where Obito was being kept, though.” I looked at my brother. “Apropos o’ nothin’, ya really need a haircut.”

“I know, I know.” He muttered.

Minato had pulled out the sheaf of paper where I’d written out the plot. It was as thick as a book, because I’d written out everything I remembered. “I’m getting Jiraiya-sensei in on this. As soon as I become Hokage, I’m recalling him to the village. The ceremony is tomorrow.”

Rin had been listening, quietly being fucking horrified. “Wait, Shion-chan, you thought you were going to die?!”

“Yeah.” I looked her in the eyes. “But I would have been happy t’ die so y'all could live.”

She fucking slapped me. Again. “Don’t you ever do something like that again!”

Kakashi was nodding along. “I would hate to have to break in a new teammate.”

I rubbed my cheek.

**These humans really care for you, little seer.**

_ My NAME is Takasu Shion! _

**I know.**

“Stupid turtle…” I muttered.

Kushina looked up in alarm. “What did the Sanbi say?”

“He refuses t’ use my name. Calls me “little seer” instead.” I explained.

“That’s...surprisingly civil.” Obito commented. “I thought the Bijuu were all “rawr, fear me” sorts of critters.”

“They’re sentient bein’s.” I repeated my words from earlier. “They deserve t’ be treated like it. If people had tried t’ communicate with ‘em before, they wouldn’ be so grumpy.”

**I am not grumpy.**

_ Ya threw a shit-fit when I called ya by yer name. _

He muttered something uncharitable.

I snorted.  _ Ya have quite the vocabulary for a giant turtle _ .

“You got an odd look on your face.” Kakashi said.

“The Sanbi knows how to swear.” I explained. “I was surprised.”

“The Kyuubi swears at me a lot.” Kushina replied.

“You swear right back.” Minato deadpanned.

“See, the Sanbi speaks very formally, so it was a bit of a shock.” I shrugged.

“I suppose.”

My stomach growled, and it wasn’t the Sanbi. I’d burned way too many calories with my week-long flight.

“I’ll get some food started.” Kushina said.

That night, I visited the Sanbi again.

“ **Hello, little seer.** ”

“Hello, Sanbi-san.” I picked my way through the thin layer of black gunk in my mind to reach him.

“ **What is this...stuff?** ” He asked.

“I have a mental disorder. I see a Yamanaka every six months t’ burn this off.”

“ **I suppose I can’t eat the Yamanaka.** ”

“Please don’.” I went back to work undoing the chains on his left arm.

“ **You really think the Bijuu are worthy of being treated like people?** ”

“Ya  _ are _ people. Ya just happen t’ be very powerful and shaped differently.” I replied, undoing a chain.

“ **You really are odd.** ”

I shrugged.

By the time morning came, I had managed to free his entire left arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shion says: Don' be afraid t' leave a comment!  
> Seriously though, feedback is very helpful, especially the critical kind.


	10. Chapter 10

After Minato’s ceremony, he sent for Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya because of my story, and Tsunade because Kushina wanted her there when the baby was born. He’d told Jiraiya to bring his Ame students with him.

It was July, and Naruto would be born in October. That left three months to lock down the village as best we could. I figured Madara and Zetsu weren’t above attacking without a Tobi on their side, and mentioned as much.

“What capabilities does this Zetsu have?”

“Well, Black Zetsu can puppeteer people, and th’ White Zetsus can shapeshift. Don’ let anyone into th’ village without checkin’ t’ see if they bleed. Zetsus bleed orange. And get an Earth Release user t’ surround the underside o’ th’ village in rock. Black Zetsu likes t’ tunnel.”

Minato grinned. “I’ll do you one better. I’ve already covered the village in my Flying Thunder God seals, what’s some security seals on top of that?”

“If you leave even a half meter uncovered, we’re fucked.” I replied.

“Seals every quarter meter, got it.” He made a bunch of Shadow Clones and sent them out with non-cloned ink and brushes.

“Also, you should probably do something about the Uchiha situation. They feel like they’re being discriminated against, and in ‘bout ten years that comes t’ a head. They might’ve been planning a coup, though ‘m not sure, but Danzo thought they were and went behind Sarutobi’s back t’ have, ya know Itachi? Bright kid, fresh chunin? He ends up in ANBU and has t’ kill everyone but his little brother. His whole family.”

“Danzo doesn’t have that authority.”

I grimaced. “Put up some security seals.” The only seals I knew were storage and explosive notes.

**Ask for sealing training, it is quite useful.** The Sanbi noted.

He slapped a paper onto the table. “What did Danzo do?”

“Root is still active.” I described everything I knew of Danzo’s secret army, including Yakushi Nono, and Kabuto’s role in everything. It took an hour, the information delivery.

“That? That is  _ not  _ what he has the authority for.” Minato looked upset by the end. “But we can’t arrest him on hearsay.”

“I figured.” I sighed. “But at least you can get Yakushi Nono to come in and see if you can remove her seal.”

“I’ll make the offer.”

He shooed me out of his office, telling me to go get some sun.

I went to an empty training ground and sat on a log.

_ Sanbi-san, we should probably get started on workin’ together. _

**Indeed.**

I fell back into my mindscape. “So, how will this work?”

“ **If you truly wish to work with me, all you must do is ask.** ”

“Ask...fer yer chakra? That’s it?”

“ **Reach into your coils for me, and I’ll reach back.** ”

“Best not t’ test that now. We’re in public.” I pulled a chain off of his left shoulder. “This seal’s real fuckin’ mean t’ ya.”

“ **The fools who created it did a good job.** ” He replied, flexing his freed fingers. “ **Too good, in my opinion.** ”

“I guess.” Another chain clanked to the ground. I moved around to get started on his right arm.

“ **You do know you don’t need to ask for my chakra, little seer. You can just take.** ”

“That’d be really fuckin’ rude.” I pointed out. “Yer a sentient bein’ and should be treated like one. How many times do I gotta fuckin’ say it?”

He had no answer to that. “ **Anyways, you may use my name, little seer. You are the first in centuries to treat me like someONE instead of someTHING.** ”

“Only if ya consider usin’ mine, Isobu-san.”

He huffed out a laugh. “ **Try again in a few months.** ”

I woke up to Obito poking me in the shoulder. “Shion-chan, what’re you doing?”

“I was meditatin’.”

“Oh. Oops.”

“Nah, don’ worry ‘bout it. Was just talkin’ t’ the turtle. How’s your arm?”

“My ar-oh. Fine, I’m fine. Once Tsunade-sama gets here, sensei’s gonna have her look over it and see about my physical. You and Kakashi too.”

“Why me?”

He looked at me. “Bijuu chakra can have negative effects on the human body, remember?”

Oh, right. I remembered how Naruto’s skin had burned off and grown back.

**You will be fine.** The Sanbi rumbled.

_ Are you a medical professional? _

**...No.**

_ Exactly. _

I tuned back in just in time to hear “-and Jiraiya-sama will be heading back as well. I wonder if he’ll teach us something?”

I felt a headache coming on. “Jiraiya’s a massive fuckin’ pervert. Th’ first thin’ he’ll do is peep on th’ bathhouses.”

Obito made a face. “Really?” 

“Maybe not with his students with him.” I conceded. “But how th’ hell d’ya think he gets material fer his books?” The first Icha-Icha book had come out while Obito was gone. It was a mess and he really needed an editor.

“So he’s a peeping tom, good to know.”

I nodded. “He’s only inta women, so ya don’ have t’ worry. But I do.”

**Can I eat him?**

_ No. _

Obito’s scarred face lit up with an idea. “How about we ask sensei to put security seals on the bathhouses?”

“Jiraiya  _ taught  _ him sealin’.” I shot him down. “Unfortunately. And the seals that’re already there are t’ keep out intrusion by Zetsu.”

“Damn.”

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in amiable conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to get a beta reader to make this less of a garabge-fest. Ask in the comments if you want to apply.


	11. Chapter 11

Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived a few days later. I’d managed to free the Sanbi’s right arm and head by then.

With them were Tsunade’s apprentice Shizune and Jiraiya’s students Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.

I was summoned to Minato’s office after they’d arrived. I entered through the window, because walking up the side of the building was easier than dealing with the fucking bureaucrats in the tower.

The office was a little cramped with eight people in it.

“Ya sent fer me, Hokage-sama?” I made sure to be extra-formal in front of such respected shinobi.

“I did, Shion-chan. It’s about what you know.”

“Can we trust these people?” I wondered.

Jiraiya crossed his arms. “My students are trustworthy.”

I grimaced and cracked my scarred knuckles, then my unscarred ones. “This is an S-Rank secret.”

He conceded the point. “You three, don’t get into any trouble, but go enjoy yourselves.”

“Shizune, go with them.” Tsunade suggested. “Check out the hospital.”

The four left.

“Now, what’s the big secret?” Jiraiya demanded. “I’ve got things to do!”

“Shion-chan here had a vision of the future.” Minato began. “And I know it’s true, because she knew what Kushina and I were planning on naming our son before we told anyone.”

“Wait, this one?” Tsunade pointed at me. “She had a vision of the future? You’re serious?”

I nodded. “As serious as yer damn hemophobia.”

“How did-future vision, right?”

“Yeah. Th’ point is, when Hokage-sama’s son is born, we might be attacked. Th’ Kyuubi’s seal is weaker then. So if ya could hang ‘round and help with security, that’d be great.”

Minato added his own plea. “For the sake of your future godson.”

“You mean…”

“We want you two to be the godparents, yes.”

“Fine, can’t refuse such a thing. But I’m not being the midwife.”

“Biwako-sama has volunteered for that, actually.” Minato informed her. “But I do want you to check over my students, starting with Shion-chan here.”

“The other two are the Uchiha who was crushed and the Hatake boy, right? Gladly.” Tsunade then muttered “Can’t trust the medical-ninjas around here to do anything right.”

I was offended on behalf of Inori-sensei. “Some can!” I protested.

“Your left hand begs to differ. What, did you mishandle ninja wire?”

“I was fucking tortured.” I said flatly. “Some Iwa-nin skinned my arm and dissected it.”

She had no real response to that.

Jiraiya left, saying he was going to lay his own security seals and check on his students.

Tsunade dragged me over to the hospital, and got us an examination room in ten damn seconds. She had Minato summon Kakashi and Obito as well, but made them wait outside while she worked on me.

She performed a Diagnostic Jutsu. “It’s not just surface damage, your tenketsu are less stable in your lower left arm.”

“Which means?”

“You’ll lose a little chakra from there every time you use a jutsu. Not unmanageable, just a few wisps.”

“A’ight.”

“And your chakra pathways are singed, like you were exposed to Bijuu chakra-wait a minute…”

“Jinchuriki o’ th’ Sanbi, at your service.” I mock bowed.

**You are a dramatic human.**

_ You know you like me, Isobu-san. _

**Debatable.**

“Anyways, you shouldn’t be in any real danger from using its chakra, but be careful.” She gave me one of those fucking looks. “Bijuu are dangerous.”

“Everyone keeps sayin’ that.” I replied.

She shooed me out and had Obito enter next.

Rin was speaking to Shizune, but stopped to talk to me instead. “So? Her diagnosis?”

“Minor tenketsu damage. Just a bit o’ a chakra leak, very minor. Plus minor burns from th’ ya-know-what.” I tapped my stomach meaningfully.

“I figured that much.” She replied. “That’ll heal on its own.”

“And th’ hand, I can live with.”

Rin nodded. “At least you’re not Obito.”

“He should be gettin’ a clean bill o’ health eventually. I mean, it lasted fifteen more years, far as I could tell.”

She nodded. I meandered over to Kakashi. “Hope she finds nothin’ wrong with th’ transplant, ‘cause that’d be my fault.”

His face, what little of it I could see, was relaxed. “I’ve had no problems.”

I sat down and we waited for another half hour before Obito was freed.

“Surprisingly, I’m in perfect health.” He chirped.

Kakashi went in for his checkup.

My brother sat next to me. “Half of my ribcage and my right lung, as well as half of my heart, it’s all made from Zetsu stuff now.”

I felt another pang of guilt. I should have fucking done something.

“Don’t get that look, Shion.” He’d dropped the ‘-chan’, I noted. “I made my choice.”

“But-”

“Hey, I  _ chose _ to save you and Kakashi. It was a choice I’d repeat, if put in that situation again.”

I shut up at the look in his eye. He meant it.

Kakashi came out not long after. “There was a minor issue with re-alignment of the nerve of the transplant, but she fixed that easy.”

I knew field surgery wasn’t my fucking calling. “Sorry.”

“She said it was surprisingly good work for amateur surgery, but next time, let the pros do it.”

That was fair.

**I would not recommend medical techniques with my chakra in you. You could slip and burn someone.**

_ I figured. _ I let out a sigh.

Tsunade shooed the three of us out to make room for actual patients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments about what I'm doing wrong! I want to improve!


	12. Chapter 12

A week later, I unravelled a chain from Isobu’s leftmost tail. “Damn, this seal is mean.”

“ **You have said as much before. I appreciate being able to move my head and hands again.** ”

“‘M not lettin’ ya stay chained up like some animal, Isobu-san.” I let the chain fall. “Basic decency.”

“ **You are odd indeed, little seer. And you do not bandy my power about. You prefer to rely on your own strengths.** ” He hummed, a deep sound that rattled my bones. “ **I appreciate that.** ”

“Yer not a weapon. I refuse t’ use ya as one.” I shrugged. “That simple.”

Isobu-san huffed a laugh. “ **If only all humans thought as you did.** ”

“If wishes were fishes, we’d all eat like kings.” I quoted.

“ **Indeed.** ” He agreed.

I felt myself waking. “See ya tonight, Isobu-san.”

I woke to Otou-san cursing as he tripped over his pack. He often forgot where he’d put it and ended up stumbling on it, literally.

I dressed and ate, then headed to the mission desk to get my newest mission. The war was over, but that meant very little to most of the people in the village. Life went on.

I took a B-Rank mission that required me to work alongside Gai and Genma. I didn’t know them too well, but that shouldn’t matter. It was just a group of missing-nin.

Genma side-eyed me. He and Gai had worked with me before, when I was running missions in a depressed haze, after the Kannabi Bridge incident. I’d barely spoken a word to them.

“Yo.” I waved at the pair.

“Good morning, Shion-chan! Let us depart and send these most unyouthful enemies packing!” Gai cried, enthusiastic as ever.

“Morning.” Genma chewed on his senbon. “Let’s get going.”

I followed the two out of the village.

As we bounded through the Hashirama trees, I felt Genma keep looking at me. “If ya got somethin’ t’ say, say it.” I told him.

“You’re different than when we last worked together.” He said bluntly.

“When we last worked together, I was runnin’ on guilt and anger.”

He nodded. “I could tell.”

I shrugged. “Things’ve changed. So ‘m doin’ better.”

“You were most unyouthful then, Shion-chan!” Gai exclaimed. “I was concerned that your Youth had left you forever!”

“It was a bad time for me.” I admitted. “It’s over now, though.”

The rest of the travel time was spent in silence.

When we reached the missing-nin camp, we surveyed the situation.

There were nine of them, defectors from Konoha, but no big names. Off to the side, there was a woman.

She was conventionally attractive, with big eyes and a smooth face. Silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was also stark naked, and very much dead. Her throat gaped open wide, her sightless eyes staring into space. I could see her spine. Since there was no sign of decay, I’d bet she’d died less than a day prior.

One of the missing-nin kicked the body, laughing. “Whore’s useless now.” I heard him say.

I saw red. I shifted into a bird and flew at the man, and I ripped his eyes out. I tore at his face until it was naught but a fucking ruin.

As I turned back, I heard Gai and Genma leap into the fray. I tore out my opponent’s throat with my talons as he screamed in pain. His screaming cut off into a wet gurgle.

Another nin, a young teenager, swung a katana at me. I caught it on one of the armored parts of my glove and turned it aside. He swung again and I leaned backwards to dodge. It cut a thin line through my cheek, but I could deal with that. 

I lashed out with a kick, which he dodged. The teen stabbed at me with his katana, and I swayed to one side. I grinned at him. “Fuck ya.”

I grabbed the blade and tugged. He stumbled forward and I met him with a kunai to the throat.

A third nin, this one a woman, hurled her own kunai at me. I caught it by the blade and just stared at her. “That supposed t’ do somethin’?”

She shrieked in incoherent rage and charged me. I dodged her kunai swipes easily. She must have been a genin when she went missing-nin.

I lashed out, quick as lightning, and stabbed her in the leg.

She howled. Yep, definitely a genin. “Fire Release: Great Fireball!” I immolated her.

**As my host, you are better suited for wind or water techniques.**

_ Great Fireball was the first real Jutsu I learned. Cut me some slack. _

Gai and Genma were just finishing up their enemies as well.

“Now that we’ve taken care o’ th’ assholes, ya wanna head back and grab, like, Ichiraku or somethin’?” I offered.

“I’ll take you up on that.” Genma replied as we set off.

Gai added “I would love to share ramen with a friend!”

Friend, huh? He sure gets attached quickly.

We returned and reported mission success, then headed to Ichiraku. I ordered chicken ramen, while Gai got beef and Genma had shrimp.

“So,” Genma said between bites, “I always took you as an antisocial person. What brought this on?”

The fact that they were going to be important in the future, maybe. “I felt like it.”

He nodded. “And do you often do things on a whim?”

“Not...really. Just figured I should ‘pologize fer how I was actin’ last month.” I admitted.

Gai had already finished his bowl. “We all heard about Obito-kun, Shion-chan.” He said in what, for him, was a quiet voice. “It is no surprise that your Flames of Youth were low when we were working together.”

“Still, I shoulda been more...communicative.”

“Listen, it’s over and done with.” Genma responded. “Just put it behind us.”

I nodded. “I look forward t’ workin’ with ya again.”

“Same here.”

_ Ya might not think so when ya find out that ‘m a jinchuriki. _ I thought.

Isobu stirred.  **If anyone insults you, I could always eat them.**

I headed back home as I responded to the turtle.  _ Why are ya so obsessed with fuckin’ eatin’ people? _

**Your reactions are humorous.**

_ Gee, thanks. _

**You are quite welcome.** He said smugly.

I sighed. Otou-san looked up from sharpening a kunai. “How did your mission go?”

“Fine. Just some missing-nin.”

“No injuries?”

“No.” I lied, remembering the already-healed gash in my cheek. Perk of holding a Biju: Fast healing.

“Good.” He returned to his sharpening.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this sucks. Does this suck?
> 
> Now Looking For A Beta Reader! Leave a comment if you're interested!


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